Spring 2026 OLLI Digital Catalog – under construction 

RETELLING AMERICA’S STORY (G522)

G – History

Our nation’s original founding texts are flawed. Slavery, affirmed by the Constitution, denied the Declaration of Independence’s claims of equality and rights to life and liberty. At Gettysburg, Lincoln invoked the Declaration’s principles to call for a “new birth of freedom.” This course considers the claim that Lincoln’s message, with the Civil War era constitutional amendments, comprise a new foundational text: abolishing slavery, guaranteeing equality under law and expanding voting rights.

This offering meets for a total of 5 session(s).

INSTRUCTOR: Mark Olson

OLSON, MARK — B.A., Binghamton University; M.A.L.S., Johns Hopkins University; J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School. A practicing lawyer, member of the Delaware bar since 1976, semi-retired. Instructs continuing legal education programs including professional ethics, federal tax matters and specialized property issues. Interest in U.S. history and political philosophy. (G522, S218)

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